About Memories and Virtual Light

Experiments in Virtual Light began from an observation made in a previous digital art project. I accidentally set an incorrect camera angle in a 3D work I was creating and noted an interesting result. Recently I returned to explore this in greater detail.

Memories of a Brutal Past was the first series of images I created with this technique (image left is number 03). I soon realised there were many more possibilities to be explored and so there are currently a total of 14 works. Some of these works are spawning new series of their own.

Having discovered the technique by accident Memories of a Brutal Past started to emerge from my experiments. The series is a reflection on recollections and current impressions of the 60s and 70s. A great part was inspired by my experiences of living and working in and amongst the great concrete edifices built in those times.

Shaft 01 (left) is one of the latter developments from Experiments in Virtual Light. A number of other series are starting to emerge including Lazer Cut and Ripples.

The reason for the title Experiments in Virtual Light comes from the effects of modeling the projections of light shone through objects made of clear or translucent materials with an assortment of textures. These are simulations of the real world however the results may not be a perfect simulacrum of reality resulting sometimes in unusual and unpredictable results.

So far in this project I have been fascinated by the results obtained with software and it hasn’t yet inspired a response in traditional materials such as paint or pencil but it may well lead there in time. Most of the images are as fairly pure without much post production, however one or two have been “shopped” a little more heavily.

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